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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Disgusted by excessive Xmas treats!

402 replies

PinkPomeranian · 04/01/2022 14:52

My kids are doing a final clear up before going back to school tomorrow, and 8yo trotted off to fetch her Xmas sweet haul which she had forgotten about and therefore barely touched.

Seeing it all laid out I am absolutely astounded by the amount of chocolate/sweets she has accumulated. (Even more horrified to realise that 5yo currently has a pile half this size despite receiving the same stuff as her elder sister!) This is over the last month alone. She also has two large tins full of the sweets she's been given at parties and Hallowe'en etc. I don't think our friends or family are particularly big on sweets so guess lots of little or one-off things have just accumulated.

AIBU to be a bit taken aback by the amount she's received? And what do other people do with it all? I don't think she'll get through it all but seems a waste to bin it.

Disgusted by excessive Xmas treats!
OP posts:
Iamthewombat · 04/01/2022 15:39

@StrifeOfBath

Who will be the first? Grin
Hahahahaha
Iamthewombat · 04/01/2022 15:40

@Morgan12

Oh my God! Who will play you in the movie?
Double hahahahaha. This thread hasn’t half livened up the first gruesome day back at work!
MarshmallowFondant · 04/01/2022 15:41

The Percy Pigs aren't even sweets. It's popcorn.

ElftonWednesday · 04/01/2022 15:41

I'm amazed they haven't eaten their way through it yet.

RoyalFamilyFan · 04/01/2022 15:41

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

BringBackCoffeeCreams · 04/01/2022 15:41

My DS got at least twice that amount. I prefer edible presents as I don't have to find a permanent home for them. His hoard has pretty much all gone now, majority was for breakfast on Christmas morning.

girlmom21 · 04/01/2022 15:41

Would a food bank mind about seasonal items?

Chocolates not seasonal.

If you're worried about the Santa's make chocolate Rice Krispie cakes (and don't share with your daughter).

starfishofbethlehem · 04/01/2022 15:41

It's not a huge amount and the stuff will keep for a month or two.

Tbh I'm more surprised that they are in charge if keeping their own "hauls" stashed away. I'd get them a cake storage tin or tupperware each (labelled) and pop them in a central cupboard. The confectionary will keep better if stored properly and won't melt all over their bedrooms.

MarshmallowFondant · 04/01/2022 15:42

so I guess part of the reason I'm asking is because I don't want a cupboard full of chocolate

Are you a Borrower with exceptionally small cupboards?

Idontknowlondon · 04/01/2022 15:42

We put it all in the kitchen cupboards, where it gets eaten as our usual treats. Usually lasts until Easter when the stock is replenished and the again at Halloween.

Hollyhead · 04/01/2022 15:42

Mine had 3-4 times that much, they’ll graze through it over the next few weeks - a bit for pudding etc. Snack for a walk etc etc

Dagnabit · 04/01/2022 15:42

Ffs, overdramatic much? It will stay in date for ages so let her have a bit on a weekend or something. This smells of performance parenting to me.

Original poster
PinkPomeranian · 04/01/2022 15:42

@SlashBeef

Please be aware of how your attitude to food will trickle down to your child. It's not normal to be so horrified by some chocolate. Let her eat it, give some away, whatever. Just don't make a big thing of it. It's just food.
Don't worry, we have an open approach to all food here and nothing is banned. I try to moderate my language to avoid words like "treats" and we don't talk about other people's bodies or diets. I did use dramatic language to get some replies here, and thinking about it my biggest issue is where to put it all as space is at a premium and there are five of us in the family with similar amounts of stuff. I just don't want it hanging around and genuinely wondered what other people do when they have too much of this stuff.
OP posts:
BurbageBrook · 04/01/2022 15:42

How absolutely ridiculous and dramatic. Calm down!

CSJobseeker · 04/01/2022 15:43

disgusted
absolutely astounded
horrified

Really? Confused Kids get given sweets and chocolate at Xmas. Who knew?! Grin

If you'd rather they weren't given edible presents, just tell the givers next year that you'd rather they didn't give sweets.

As for what to do with it - food bank is an obvious suggestion. Either that or just spread it out - a bit at a time over several weeks. No drama.

chesirecat99 · 04/01/2022 15:43

It sounds like your DDs have a healthy attitude to chocolate and sweets if they have had free access to all those treats and have so many left over. Don't destroy that good attitude by making a big thing about them being unhealthy and taking them away Hmm

Just put them in the kitchen and let them work their way through them slowly over the coming months. You could ask them if they would like to donate some to the food bank but don't force them. Or you could use some of the chocolate to make and decorate a cake to share with friends but again, only if they want to do that. Make it about sharing rather than denying them treats, unless you want to give them food issues.

HelloBunny · 04/01/2022 15:43

I’m surprised by all of the people saying that it’s okay for kids eat all of this crap... Fair enough. I would have though that was a lot of sweets!
I like sweet things myself, I try not to eat that much. But I definitely wouldn’t let my small child eat it. Family never gift us sweet things, so I’ve never really thought / worried about it, tbh.

FlickyCrumble · 04/01/2022 15:44

We’ve just checked the date of stuff and put some items away for summer. The rest needed to be eaten by Easter or it’s out of date.

Honestly I’m with you in this. I’m still hoarding foreros and chocolate coins from last Christmas! Mine won’t eat it without telling me so usually end up having it instead of weekend pudding or eaten whilst we’re out for long walks.

Bunnycat101 · 04/01/2022 15:44

I’d be delighted if this was all mine had. They got double that from one set of grandparents alone. Ironically the set that are extremely healthy and take great pleasure in berating me for giving them ‘unhealthy’ things like toast.

Chocolate will always get eaten but we will have to give away lots of the sweet treats as most of them are choking hazards/totally unsuitable for toddlers.

AnxiousWeirdo · 04/01/2022 15:44

You should see my dds sweet/ chocolate pile...

I just ration it out and it means I don't have to buy any treats for ages!

FangsForTheMemory · 04/01/2022 15:45

I've never had too much of that sort of stuff.

Also, I doubt I've ever bought a child a Christmas present without including a few chocolate coins or a little selection box because when I was small , chocolate coins in particular were magical to me and I want to pass that on.

5128gap · 04/01/2022 15:45

I'm shocked to the core. I'm not quite sure how you deal with it to be honest. Could you maybe set fire to it, or bury it and then lay a patio on top? Or perhaps chop it into small pieces and scatter them across multiple public bins, moving between counties if you think its safer?

Corrag · 04/01/2022 15:45

Would a food bank mind about seasonal items? I wasn't sure if it was a bit off to offload that kind of thing on them?

I very much doubt that someone in need of a food bank is likely to turn their nose up at chocolate because it's shaped like santa, or has a snowflake on the packet. Do you always make such a song and dance about things?

Newyearnewme2022 · 04/01/2022 15:45

What do we do with excess food……we eat it, like normal people, there’s not that much chocolate there.

DirectionToPerfection · 04/01/2022 15:45

OP you're backtracking now trying to make this about space, it's hardly anything! How on earth is it so challenging to store that?